18 the absence of sexual relation has become something common, leaving those with
such experience have no place to fit in – they are neither lesbians nor
heterosexuals. For such reason, Rich 1980, p. 648 creates the term ―lesbian
continuum.‖ The term ―lesbian continuum‖ is used for women who are close to each other without the need of having sexual relation between them. This way,
Women who have such experience can fit in with other lesbian feminists. Jill Johnston 1973 also expresses a similar opinion:
―The word lesbian has expanded so much through political definition that is should no longer refer exclusively to a woman simply in a sexual relation to
another woman. The word in fact had pornographic implications as though lesbian was a woman who did nothing but enjoy sex, and implication
employed as a tool of discrimination. The word is now a generic term signifying activism and resistance and the envisioned goal of a woman
committed state‖ p. 278
In conclusion, lesbian-feminism becomes the haven for some who are dissatisfied with results given during first-wave feminism and second-wave
feminism. They channel their feminist ideas to other women, sexually or not. It becomes a form of feminism which focuses on women, by women, and for
women.
4. Rebellion
Not many people believe that rebellion and revolution are two similar concepts with similar ideas. Although there are similarities between rebellion and
revolution, with the concept of achieving a certain goal as one of their similarities, the approach to reach the certain goal is done differently. Revolution tends to
become a riot, while rebellion is an individual movement that can be peaceful if possible. Osho 2013, a religion leader in India, explains the concept:
19 ―Revolution is individual, nonviolent, peaceful. It is out of love. Rebellion is
not against something, but not for something. Revolution is so much engaged in being against, it forgets for what all this fuss is being made. It is
anger. But anger cannot create a better society. Rebellion is not oriented
against the society, but is oriented toward a new man, a new humanity.‖ pp. 7
– 8 If rebellion is not revolution, then what is rebellion? According to Camus
1992, p. 13, a philosopher from France, rebellion is a concept when someone has decided to change something in his life. A rebel, the person who is doing the
rebellion, is standing at that point of his life where he decided to change everything. Camus uses the example of a
slave saying ―no‖. Camus claims that a slave, saying no, is an act of rebellion. The slave does that because he realizes that
everything [the oppression] has reached its limit and needs stopping. For that reason, the slave says ―no‖, starting his rebellion against the authority above him.
There are conditions and requirements for rebellion to happen. A scholar named Bartlett, in her book entitled Rebellious Feminism 2004, briefly explains
Camus‘ conditions for rebellion to occur in four steps. Those four steps are rejection of oppression and affirmation of human dignity, solidarity, friendship
and primacy of concrete relationship, and valuing of imminence: a. Rejection of Oppression and Affirmation of Human Dignity
According to Bartlett, rejection of oppression happens when one has experienced the oppression p. 5. His rebellion starts when he decided to stop the
oppression, regaining his dignity and humanity as a human being with the right to refuse. For Bartlett, ―rebellion is that moment when the slave refuses enslavement,
the battered woman refuses abuse, the colonized refuses colonization – because a
20 limit has been crossed that causes them to recogni
ze their fundamental worth‖ p. 5.
b. Solidarity Despite the fact that rebellion is an act done by a single person, there is an
element of solidarity which involves another person and exists within rebellion. Bartlett uses one of Camus‘ novels, The Plague, as a way to explain solidarity. In
her explanation, Bartlett explains that Rambert one of the characters in The Plague does an act of rebellion p. 79
– 80. He does so by doing things differently with the other citizens of Oran due to his lack of unified feeling among
the citizens. However, as time passes by, Rambert finds himself having the same goal with the other citizens
– staying in the city despite of the plague. By doing something different from the society but having the same goal, Rambert does an
act of rebellion. Different ways, but same goal – that is what solidarity within
rebellion is about p. 80.
c. Friendship and Primacy of Concrete Relationship Despite of the importance of solidarity for rebellion, there is another
aspect that is much more important that solidarity. That aspect is no other than friendship. What Bartlett talks about is not just a mere friendship, but a deep
relationship that surpasses even the feeling of solidarity p. 112. Bartlett emphasizes that Camus believed in friendship more than solidarity. The
importance of friendship is due to fear of the result of solidarity if it does not come from a ground basis:
21 ―Solidarity and compassion may too easily become regarded as an empathy
for the ‗bleeding crowd,‘ and for humanity in the abstract. Camus feared such abstract love that would sacrifice one‘s friends living in the present in
the name of a far-distant era of universal friendship.‖ p. 111 – 112
d. Valuing of Immanence Camus stresses the importance of nature within the act of rebellion. He
shows his belief in nature in Lyrical , where he ―lived on almost nothing, but also
in a kind of rapture… It was not poverty that got in my way; in Africa, the sun and the sea costs nothing… The lovely warmth that reigned over my childhood
freed me from resentment‖ p. 7. He believes that a rebel must go back to his root which involves nature in order to achieve peace and goal the rebel needed.
Without nature, rebellion is not a rebellion; it is just an act of destruction and no- thingness.
C. Theoretical Framework
There are four theories applied in this research. They are theory of character and characterization, patriarchy, feminism, and rebellion. All
of the
theories are applied by reading the book and highlighting the important events, actions, and thoughts of the necessary characters in the book.
Theory of character and characterization is used to define Celie as a character in this novel in order to understand Ce
lie‘s character better. This is done by reading the book and sees the characteristics of theory of characterization
within Celi e‘s and other characters‘ responses, thoughts, and actions in the book.
22 Feminist theory, to be specific lesbian-feminism, is used to define the
relationship between Celie and Avery Shug. This is to see how lesbian-feminism is portrayed in Celie‘s character and how deep the relationship between Celie and
Avery Shug is. After examining lesbian feminism within Celie‘s character, the researcher
goes further by answering Celie‘s rebellion against society through lesbian feminism. First, the researcher defines society through patriarchy theory. After
that, the researcher uses theory of rebellion to see the characteristics of rebellion against society‘s expectation through her relationship with Avery Shug.
